Honoring those who have served our country - John Avery

Today I am going way back in our family, and our nation's history, for the story of John Avery, who served our country as it became our country.

John Avery was born in Dedham, Massachusetts in 1758. The Avery family came to America in 1690. When the colonists began to rebel against England, the Avery family took up arms in the defense of liberty.


A painting of a Revolutionary War soldier, by Frank Bond, 1901

From the Massachusetts Soldiers and Sailors in the War of the Revolution, Volume 1, page 367 it states in regards to John Avery:

Avery, John, Dedham.Private, Capt. Aaron Fuller's co., which marched on the alarm of April 19, 1775, from Dedham (First Parish); service, 9 days; also, Capt. Joseph Lewis's (1st) co., Col. William McIntosh's regt.; marched to Dorchester on the alarm of March 4, 1776; service, 4 days; also, descriptive list of men enlisted from Suffolk Co. in 1779; Capt. Battle's co.; age, 20 yrs.; stature, 5 ft. 7 in.; complexion, light; residence, Dedham; delivered to Ensign Edward White; also, list of men received by Justin Ely, Commissioner, from Maj. Stephen Badlam, Superintendent of Suffolk Co., dated Springfield, Sept. 20, 1779; also, pay roll for 6 months men raised by the town of Dedham for service in the Continental Army during 1780; marched July 15, 1780; discharged Dec. 24, 1780; service, 5 mos. 20 days.

Though I have not been able to find any published paintings of John, I do have a photo of his headstone in Howland Cemetery, Conway, Franklin, Massachusetts.



If it were not for the strength and determination of the early patriots such as John Avery, we would not have the freedom we enjoy in this great country of ours. I am grateful for his service to the beginnings of our nation. Today I honor him.

Direct line ancestry: John Avery --> Lindamina Avery --> Avery John Bond --> Frank Bond --> Rolf Wallace Bond --> Richard Griffiths Bond --> Kathryn Bond --> Lora Marshall Nehring

Landing of the Pilgrims

One of the really great things for me about writing this blog is that as I prepare posts, I do more research and find out even more about the people I am writing about. That is exciting!


Isaac Allerton and his family came to America on the Mayflower. Much has been written about Isaac Allerton and his family, so I am not going to try to give a full account here, but I wanted to share what I learned about him recently. There is a famous painting by Henry Sargent called the Landing of the Pilgrims which hangs in the Pilgrim Hall Museum in Plymouth, Massachusetts.


I just recently learned that the painter actually identified each person in the painting. Isaac Allerton is to the direct left and Mary, his wife can be seen below him, having just gotten out of the boat. She is represented as having a fine face, rather beautiful, and as being of a "meek and quiet spirit."



There is also a lovely book about the children of Isaac and Mary Allerton called "Three Young Pilgrims", written by Cheryl Harness.



Direct line ancestry: Isaac Allerton --> Mary Allerton --> Thomas Cushman --> Samuel Cushman --> Jacob Cushman --> Mary Cushman --> Lindemina Avery --> Avery John Bond --> Frank Bond --> Rolf Wallace Bond --> Richard Griffiths Bond --> Kathryn Bond --> Lora Marshall Nehring

The Fairbanks House

Way back in the Bond family line there is Jonathan Fairbanks and his wife, Grace. Jonathan was born in about 1594-8 in Sowerby, Halifax, York, England. The family included seven children, John, George, Mary, Johnathan, Jonas, George (?), and Susan. They came to America in 1633 and landed in Boston, Massachusetts. In 1636, they settled in Dedham, Massachusetts where they built a home. This home, The Fairbanks House, is still standing today, the oldest surviving timber frame house in North America.



Abbott Lowell Cummings, former Charles F. Montgomery Professor of American Decorative Arts at Yale University, says the following about the Fairbanks House:


"The Jonathan Fairbanks House in Dedham, Massachusetts, is one of the most important historic houses now standing in the northeastern part of the United States. Its value to the area and to the nation as a whole lies not so much in its claim to being the oldest house in New England but in its architectural significance... It may be said quite simply that no other house of the mid-17th century in New England has survived in such unbelievable unspoiled condition. It is extraordinary that so early a structure should preserve such a high percentage of original features. It is a veritable storehouse of information concerning the small handful of houses which survive from this early period."




All in all, eight generations of the Fairbanks family lived in the house. Over the years, the original portion of the house was extended and added on to as the family's needs changed.




Jonathan Fairbanks died in Dedham, December 5, 1668. He and many members of the extended family are buried in the Old Village Cemetery in Dedham, Massachusetts. Most of them have no gravestones, as they have disintegrated over time.

Interestingly enough, the city of Fairbanks, Alaska was named in honor of Charles Warren Fairbanks, an 8th generation descendant, who served as Vice-President in Theodore Roosevelt's first term in office.

The house is now a historical museum, open to the public. Tours are from May to October. Tours are available Tuesday - Saturday 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 .pm. and Sunday 1:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. The last tour of the day begins at 4:00 p.m.

One of these days I am going to go on a family history tour of America and get to see all these great places our family has been.






much more information on the Fairbanks House can bee seen at the following links:

http://www.fairbankshouse.org/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairbanks_House

(photos taken from Google images)

Direct line ancestry: Jonathan Fairbanks --> Mary Fairbanks --> Johathan Metcalf --> John Metcalf --> Bethiah Metcalf --> John Avery --> Lindamina Avery --> Avery John Bond --> Frank Bond --> Rolf Wallace Bond --> Richard Grifftihs Bond --> Kathryn Bond --> Lora Marshall Nehring